My Unforgettable Year

Adem Besim is a young man in his early twenties who remembers the angst of the teen years and relates it well in his first book, My Unforgettable Year (Morris Publishing Australia). The themes of this YA novel are many: living up to parents'  expectations, bullying, friendships, studying, and dealing with death, and falling in love. This book will be loved by male and female. This is a coming-of-age story about triumph and tragedy, love and loss, acceptance and letting go. Life's looking pretty awesome for 17-year-old, Nathan Thompson. He's the goal-kicking superstar from the small town of Kyabram. Nathan's in his final year of school and has big plans set for the future; like winning the Third's premiership cup, acing his Year Twelve exams, and finally graduating. One problem - his tough and over-bearing father, Mark, has other plans for him. He desperately wants Nathan to be the next AFL player to come out of Kyabram. He seems set to stop Nathan from following his dreams of studying architecture at university. But a thirty-year-old secret of Mark's that resurfaces on Nathan's 18th birthday changes everything. Will it force Nathan and his father further apart or help them reconcile their fragile relationship? On top of that problem, Nathan's year gets worse as he deals with the death of a friend, bullying and first love.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Adem Besim was born in and lives in Kyabram, Victoria. He is presently studying for a Diploma in Professional Writing and Editing at Bendigo TAFE. Adem started his writing journey at 14 years of age. He says, 'I started writing because I'd always had a passion for it from when I was a small child. I was inspired by visits to bookshops with my father, and author visits at school. I always felt at my happiest and inspired listening to authors speaking about their books. That's how I knew that this was what I was born to do - there was nothing else I felt more certain about.'

The book is available from all library suppliers, Dennis Jones and Associates or wholesale from our website http://morrispublishingaustralia.com. It is also produced and available as an eBook and on Amazon, Smashwords, Apple and Kobo.

An interview with Adem Besin

Q. Other than writing, what else do you love, Adem?
A. I love spending time with my family, I love nature, chilling out and listening to music, watching DVDs, travelling and laughing.

Q. What were you in a past work life (if anything) before you became a writer?

A. After high school (which I was lucky to pass) I decided to take a year off and get my driving hours up. I scored my first job at a local supermarket. I was rejected by the universities I’d applied for (for building design and architecture), which left me feeling very lost. However, I continued working, finally got my full license, and then left my first job. I did a Certificate 3 in Fitness while working at another supermarket. This job (the worst four months of my life) was short-lived. The following year was when I truly decided what I wanted and enrolled into PW&E at Bendigo TAFE. It wasn’t until then that I felt happy and knew I was right where I was supposed to be.

 Q. Describe your perfect day.

A. My perfect day would be waking up to a sunny morning, feeling great and full of energy, going for a stroll around the farm, listening to music, and having a family event that day or night to look forward to. I guess as long as I was feeling happy, it’d be a perfect day.

Q. What five words best sum you up? 

A. Funny, honest, unique, a dreamer and grateful.